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Court Details Final Moments of Laken Riley’s Murder During University Run
The tragic final moments leading to the death of 22-year-old nursing student Laken Riley were presented in court on Tuesday during the trial of Jose Ibarra, the man accused of killing her while she was jogging on the University of Georgia campus.
Riley, an Augusta University student, was found dead in a wooded area of the Athens campus on February 22. Prosecutors allege that Ibarra, 26, attacked Riley after she resisted what they described as an attempted assault. Ibarra, an undocumented migrant from Venezuela, faces charges of malice murder and felony murder in connection with the case, which has sparked political conversations about immigration reform.
Timeline of Events
According to testimony from University of Georgia Police Sgt. Sophie Raboud, Riley sent her mother a text at 8:55 a.m. saying, “Good morning, about to go for a run if you’re free to talk.” She called her mother at 9:03 a.m. before starting her run, during which she was captured by a trail camera at 9:05 a.m., holding her phone in her left hand.
At 9:11 a.m., Riley made a 911 call using her phone’s SOS feature, but the call was disconnected. Attempts by the dispatcher to reconnect went unanswered. By 9:24 a.m., her mother’s calls and messages also went unanswered, prompting increasing concern. At 12:38 p.m., after her roommates reported her missing, a University of Georgia police officer discovered her body.
Data from a Garmin watch Riley was wearing indicated her heart stopped at 9:28 a.m.
Autopsy Findings
Dr. Michelle DiMarco, who performed Riley’s autopsy, testified that she suffered multiple blunt-force injuries, including eight impacts to the left side of her skull and a significant head injury above her right temple. The trauma caused brain bleeding, which alone could have been fatal. Evidence of asphyxiation was also present, though the precise method was undetermined. Her official cause of death was listed as "combined effects of blunt force head trauma and asphyxia."
Evidence Linking Ibarra to the Crime
Prosecutors presented multiple pieces of evidence connecting Ibarra to the crime, including:
DNA Evidence: Ibarra’s DNA was found under Riley’s fingernails.
Trail Camera Footage: A man resembling Ibarra was seen heading toward the intramural fields on the morning of the murder.
Discarded Items: Surveillance footage showed Ibarra discarding a bloodied jacket and disposable gloves near his apartment shortly after the time of Riley’s death. Hair matching Riley’s was found on the jacket.
Clothing Match: Clothing in a Snapchat selfie posted by Ibarra earlier that morning matched those seen on the man in the trail footage.
Defense and Prosecution
Ibarra, who has pleaded not guilty, waived his right to a jury trial, leaving the case in the hands of Judge H. Patrick Haggard in the Athens-Clarke County courtroom. The defense challenged the prosecution’s evidence, including the matching gloves, suggesting they could have come from other sources.
Police testified that Ibarra, who entered the U.S. illegally in 2022, did not know Riley and described the attack as a "crime of opportunity."
The case remains under review as the court considers the presented evidence and awaits a verdict.
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